Performability Showcase

Ms BEDFORD (Florey) (15:15): It was my honour to attend, representing the Premier, the SCOSA Performability 2015 showcase at the Golden Grove Arts Centre on Wednesday 24 June in the company of the Mayor of the City of Tea Tree Gully, Kevin Knight, and Lisa Nugent, the ANZ Service Quality Manager for the South Australian and Western Australian Branch Network. Lisa represented the ANZ Staff Foundation, which was sponsoring the event.

The foundation was established in 1988, and more than 647 charities have benefited from donations in excess of $3.8 million. Grants are around $5,000 and support a variety of projects, from disadvantaged youth to the environment. A national advisory board and state committees, comprising ANZ employees, decide the granting rounds each year. In the financial year 2014, the ANZ Staff Foundation provided 69 grants totalling over $315,000 to community organisations across Australia.

All regular staff donations are matched dollar for dollar by ANZ, thereby doubling the staff support. Applications are accepted twice a year in January and July, so groups should check the website for further information. The ANZ Staff Foundation aims to support small projects in the areas of skills and independence, environment, local initiatives and capacity building. Thanks go to ANZ staff for making this exciting event happen.

As it happened, I was actually going to attend that event in my own right, as SCOSA has a hub in Gilles Plains, which is part of the Florey electorate, and I wanted to support them. Performability is a program derived from drama and art groups that each of SCOSA's 12 hubs facilitate throughout the year. Clients from each hub across metropolitan Adelaide and regional South Australia come together to stage a range of theatrical performances, plays, dance routines and music spots in front of a large audience.

Thanks go to Jess Rodda and Wendy Rowell for organising the day. I must also mention Fiona Merritt who was MC for the day in the role of Hyacinth Bucket and she really was absolutely spectacular. Each of the hubs had an item. Wynn Vale did In Summer from Frozen; Gilles Plains did Do You Want to be My Girl?; andNewton did Mamma Mia by ABBA, which was a crowd stopper. Thebarton did Walking on Sunshine, and West Croydon did a Grease medley, You're the One that I Want/Summer Love.

Lunch was served by Les Brazier's special Rotary Club barbecue truck and, my goodness me, he did a fabulous job and everybody really enjoyed lunch. After lunch, we saw The Blues Brothers by Hackham; Uptown Funk by Port Pirie Hub; and Clare, who also travelled a very long distance, came down and did I Want to Live. Mitcham did Rock and Roll All Nite by KISS, with amazing costumes. Elizabeth Park was supported by the Elizabeth Downs Primary School and they did Shake It Off by Taylor Swift. Plympton did an amazing rendition of Waltzing Matilda, while Willaston did 5,6,7,8 (Boot Scootin' Baby) and Woodville did an amazing rendition of the Chicken Dance.

Everyone was a winner on the day; all participants tried their hearts out. It was a great job by everyone and the audience had a ball. We have to acknowledge all the fabulous SCOSA workers who not only helped their clients choose the musical numbers but also did a great deal of work on the costumes, sets and the choreography. If you have ever seen six wheelchairs dancing Mamma Mia on a small stage, you would really realise the work that went into it. The families and supporters were there, rallying around their loved ones, and it was just the best feeling in the whole day.

Rick Neagle, President of Dignity for Disability, attended for the ceremonial closure of the day, which was officiated by the CEO of SCOSA, Josie Kitch, in her outfit as a painter. I am not sure what that had to do with the Chicken Dance, but she was heavily involved in the final number. I cannot tell you how much effort everybody put into the day. I must admit that, at the beginning, I thought four hours of Performability would be too long, but the day flew and I have nothing but admiration for everyone involved.

Next year, SCOSA will be doing Performability again and it is really worth going along to support your people. People with profound disabilities get very few days out like this, and I just think it is an amazing thing to do. Well done to the ANZ Staff Foundation, all the staff at SCOSA and everyone who supported them.